The heart of a warrior beats strong
by IluthraDanar
Summary: A one-shot depicting what happens when Lex is badly wounded, and Scar contemplates life without his human mate. Rated R for Romantics, if you are one. Comments always welcome!


**A Scar and Lex one-shot. What would Scar do if Lex were badly injured during a hunt?**

**Every once in awhile, I get an idea for these two, but don't want to start a long story. You can still read my other Scar and Lex stories posted here.**

**I do not own AVP or any of its characters.**

**Yautja words I found online:**

**Yeyinde-Brave One**

**U'sl-kwe-Final Rest, Death**

**The Heart of a Warrior beats strong**

Lex and Scar ran like the wind, their pursuers close behind. Lex held her combi-stick tightly in her grasp, afraid if she dropped it, she would be helpless to defend herself. She felt Scar's footfalls heavily hitting the ground just at her back. Lex knew he was placing his body between her and the aliens chasing them.

This planet was a lush world filled with ample game, but sentient life had not been detected. Obviously, the sensors were wrong. The petite human and her Yautja mate had been ambushed within two days of their arrival.

Scar watched Lex as she ran for the spot where they'd left the small shuttle that had brought them here. He sensed the humanoids behind him, getting closer by the moment. He would not allow Lex to be hurt, even if it meant protecting her with his own life. He knew that he should turn and face their attackers. It wasn't the Yautja way to run from an enemy. But for her, for his ooman mate, he would choose safety over combat. Taking a chance, he grabbed at his shoulder cannon as he ran, facing it behind him as he shot blindly. He never slowed even as he heard the explosions, but he hoped the beings chasing them would be distracted long enough for Lex and him to reach the shuttle.

"It's (pant) not far (pant) now, Scar," Lex managed to yell in between breaths. Her heartbeat pounded in her head, as she took the path around several large boulders. The shuttle sat there, a protective sanctuary. Turning around, Lex waited for Scar to catch up. His physical bulk slowed him down only slightly. She stood near the ship, reaching her arm out to her Yautja lover, urging him to hurry. He was so close, and the attackers were not that far away. Just as Lex began to smile, knowing their escape was assured, a blast of light and heat struck her in the abdomen. Everything began to go black as time itself slowed. She thought she heard Scar call her human name, but she wasn't sure. Falling into a dark hole, she made a grab for her lover's large taloned hand, before the darkness enveloped her.

Scar turned on the aliens with pure rage motivating him. He had seen Lex fall, a black and bloody wound covering her mid-section. He stood tall, roaring his anger at her murderers. He could have torn them limb from limb with his bare hands, but he took pleasure in blowing them to pieces. No one would ever find or even remember them.

Scar went to Lex, and kneeling at her side, keened his grief at the loss of his mate. Gently, he picked up her body. She was so small, so frail, but she had the heart and courage of a Yautja. Carrying her into the ship, he was determined she would have a warrior's burial. She may have been ooman, but she had accepted the ways of his people, and made her home with them. She had remained at his side always, often telling him in her language that she loved him. Lex had to explain what the words meant the first few times, but eventually, Scar would reach out and brush his knuckles across her cheek when she said it. And although at first, she had endured the jeers of those who did not readily give her respect, eventually most had come around as she earned that respect from even the most reluctant of his kind.

Scar laid her gingerly on the deck of the shuttle. He brushed the hair from her face, one fingertip tracing the clan mark on her cheek. He still wanted to kill, but it was best he return her to the command vessel. Standing at the navigation panel, he activated the automatic pilot, and set course for the ship that had brought them to this star system. Feeling the engines start and the shuttle lift off, Scar sat next to Lex, stroking her hair as he trilled sadly.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Once the shuttle had docked aboard the command ship, he carried her to the medicine center. A healer there indicated for him to lay her on a treatment bed. Scar told the healer she was beyond help. As the healer began to prepare her body, he called to Scar quietly.

"Your ooman is not dead. Look for yourself." The healer showed Scar very low life readings, but they were there.

"She will live?" Scar demanded to know.

"That is up to her strength of will. I will begin treatment for her wounds. Her body will have to support the spirit within her. If she wants to live, she will. Now step aside, warrior, so that I may help your mate."

Scar moved only several steps back, and reluctantly at that. His heart beat with excitement at knowing Lex was still alive. She had been so still, her wound so grievous, he was sure she was dead.

This hunt had been a personal one and for pleasure only. They had been given permission to go to the planet's surface for no longer than 5 solar cycles, the lifeforms there deemed unworthy of a true hunt. Being alone with Lex was in itself, a treat for Scar. He was young, and Lex had been his first mate. He had never looked at her as just ooman, knowing of her courage from his time in the Earth pyramid fighting the Kainde Amedha. As the cycles passed, Scar was determined she would be his only mate. His clan leader ordered the young Yautja to re-consider this decision. He would want to breed, to find a female to bear his pups. The ooman could not provide him with offspring. Scar didn't care.

"You will when you are older," the clan elder warned. Scar merely snorted, at which the elder shook his head and left the ignorant yautja to his own thoughts.

After what seemed like an eternity to the waiting Scar, the healer had finished with Lex, having removed her skimpy hunting outfit, and mending the wound. Now the ooman lay covered with a light piece of fabric. "Watch her if you will. Call me if you notice any change."

Scar nodded at the healer, waiting for him to leave before he stepped close to the bed where his mate lay, so still, so silent. Her usually warm, brown skin was cool to the touch and almost chalky in colour. _Live, yeyinde. You are not ready for U'sl-kwe. Stay with me that we may have many successful hunts together. _The Yautja warrior watched as the ooman's chest barely rose and fell. His fists clenched as he looked to the ceiling and roared at the gods. _Paya, hear me_! _You do not need this warrior as much as I. Spare her!_

While he did not want to leave Lex long enough to change his clothing, he did remove all his hunting gear. Clad only in his netting and leather loincloth, he paced the floor, feeling helpless to do anything. He knew Lex's spirit was strong, but her wound had been a bad one. No organs had been damaged, according to the healer, but she had lost blood, and there was always the chance for infection.

Closing his eyes, he saw Lex smiling at him with pride after he had killed a large male Pan-katke. He had given her one of the creature's fangs, which she wore on her belt. She had kissed his cheek, an act he had gotten quite used to, looked forward to even. Later, they mated passionately, and more than once. Her small body could handle his size and his occasional roughness, but it couldn't handle the power of the aliens' weaponry.

Scar traced his fingertip over her cool, dry lips. The ooman lips fascinated him, since his kind had none. Along with her hair, which he had spent much time playing with, her lips were a feature unique to oomans. Lex would often use them to caress his shoulder and into the crook of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. He especially liked taking pieces of cooked meat after a good hunt, and feed them to her. She would open her mouth, and wait for him to place the meat within the moist cavern. Sometimes, Lex would suck on his finger as he withdraw his taloned digit from her mouth. Then he would have no choice but to mate with her. Grief compelled him to lower his head. Scar knew that even healthy, Lex's life span wouldn't be as great as his. But he had assumed they would have more time together. _Live, Lex!_

Scar paced again, his hands clenching and unclenching. He should have been more watchful of her. His hunter's senses were not as strong as he had foolishly believed. Because of his carelessness, Lex might die.

Scar sat on the floor at the side of the treatment bed. Without realizing his exhaustion, the mournful Yautja leaned back against the bed and slept.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Lex saw herself floating in darkness, but she felt a warmth, as if Scar was standing next to her. She tried to reach out to him, but she couldn't lift her arms. She found she had no body. She heard her Yautja lover calling her names, both her human name and the one he had given her. She answered, but still she couldn't touch him. How she wanted his arms around her now. _Scar, find me. Bring me home. I want to be with you. _She reached out, stretching her arms, her hands clasping empty air...

Scar felt something touch his dreadlocks. He quickly stood and whirled around. Lex was reaching out, but her eyes were still closed. He took her small hands in his and squeezed. He trilled her name over and over as he bent over her face. "I am here, my life-mate." He watched as her chest rose and fell faster, her tongue licking over her lips. "Healer! She awakens!"

The healer walked briskly to the bed, and checked the ooman's life signs. They were growing stronger. "I think she will live," he said with satisfaction. Let her rest while I prepare a tonic for her." He went to mix his medicine for Lex, leaving a much relieved Scar to watch over his patient.

Bending over Lex, the young Yautja spoke both her names. He would have smiled if he could, when he felt her hand squeeze his.

"Scar, what hap...where am I?" She heard his pleased trilling, and it gave her comfort. "I...I'd lost you, but you're here now." She rubbed her thumb over his palm as he held her hand.

Scar placed her hand against his chest. His translator spoke for him. "This warrior's heart beats for you, my mate..." Placing his free hand over her heart, he said, "...as your warrior's heart beats for me. If Paya someday sees fit for us to hunt in their lands together, it will be so. But for now, we are here."

Lex looked up into the warm amber eyes, grateful for the presence of her lover. She ran her fingers over Scar's face, touching the slightly moving mandibles. "Yes, love, we are here."


End file.
